Method and apparatus for removing primers from artillery cartridge casings



April '14, 1925. 1,533,486

A. W. WELCH METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR'REMOVING PRIMERS FROM ARTILLERY CARTRIDGE GASINGS Filed Nov. 10, 1924 INVENTOR v ATTORNEYS Au ustme Walter eld Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

AUGUSTINE WALTER WELSH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO COLUlVIBIA SALVAGE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PRIMERS FROM ARTILLERY CARTRIDGE CASINGS.

Application filed November 10, 1924. Serial No. 748,914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Aneusrma WALTER WELGH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Methods and Apparatus for Removing Primers from Artillery Cartridge Casings (Case No. 16), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the salvaging of artillery ammunition and has for an object to perform a step in the salvaging operation with ease, quickness and safety.

A further object is the provision of a simple efficient and easily operated apparatus for detonating the primer charge of a propelling charge case for artillery ammu nition and driving the primer shell from the end of the case. The case is thereby rendered in condition to have further salvaging operations performed thereon.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through the primer removing apparatus;

Fig.2 a front elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 an enlarged detail section showing the primer alined with the punch in preparation for the punching operation thereon.

Referring to the parts of the apparatus by numerals, 1 designates-the main frame, formed with the spaced side members 2. The side members 2 are connected by a bridge or table 3 and a pair of spaced standards 4 extend upwardly from the table 8 and have a shaft 5 journalled in their upper ends. The shaft 5 is formed with a crank 6 between the upper ends of the standards and said crank is connected by means of a connecting rod 7 with a cross-head 8 that is adapted to reciprocate vertically between guides 9 carried by the-standards 1. The lower end of the cross-head 8 carries a socket member 10 at its lower end and removably secured in the socket by means of a set screw 11 is a downwardly extending punch 12. The lower end of the punch 12, is guided by a bushing .13'that is fiitted within an aperture in the table 3.

A rock shaft 14 extends between the side members 2 of th frame and carries reduced stub shafts 15 at its opposite ends which are journalled in the side members. The rock shaft 1a is formed with a recess 15 in. one side and intermediate its ends, and in this recess is-fitted the lower end of an upwardly extending tubular cartridge casing support 16. The tube 16 is secured to the rock shaft by means of a U-shaped clip 17, the shanks of which pass through the shaft andhave nuts 18 threaded on their outer ends. One ofthe stub shafts 15 on the rock shaft extends outwardly of the frame 1 and has a foot lever fixed thereto. formed with a treadle arm 19 extending forwardly from the shaft and with an arm 20 extending rearwardly from the shaft and carrying a weight 21.

The punch is power operated through a belt which runs over a pulley 22. This pulley is normally disconnected from the punch operating shaft 5, but is adapted to be connected thereto by a clutch 23 vhich may be of any suitable form. The treadle' arm 19 of the footlever is operatively connected to the clutch through the means of a reach rod 24 and a clutch shipping lever 25. I

The foot lever is In the operation of the apparatus the operator steps upon the treadle 19 to rock the shaft 14 and swing the tube 16 forwardly to receive a cartridge casing, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. A cartridge casing (J, from which the explosive charge has been removed, is telescoped over the tube 16. The cartridge casing still. contains the primer P and when the casing is placed upon the tube 17 the upper end of the tube bottoms the inwardly extending primer. The operator next releases the treadle 19 and the rock shaft is turned by the weight 21 to automatically swing the tube 16 and cartridge casing to an upright position. The cartridge casing is accurately stopped in alinement with the punch by an adjustable stop screw 26 threaded through a lug which depends from'the table 3. As the cartridge casing is swung into alinenient with the punch, the upward movement of the treadle 19 operates the clutch through the connections 24 and 25 and the punch is caused to descend. The lower end of the punch is reduced as at 27' to form a firing pin, and as the punch descends the firing pin first against the base of the casing and surrounds The cartridge casing. shown is of the standard type used for containing the propelling charge for a. shrapnel shell. The shrapnel. shell is first removed from the end of'the casingand next the propelling charge isremove'd. The casing is .formed'ofbrass aiidthe primer shell of another metal and the removal of the. primer shell and its explosive. charge from the casing renders the casin in condition. to be cast into a reduction furnace or to. have other salvaging operations, performed thereon with safety. Owing to the fact that the. primer charge is. detonated within. the tube 16 and that the. tube extends below the cartridge casing and delivers directly into the discharge chute, the operator is protected from danger and from thefumes of the explosion and also thefire risk is greatly reduced. This is an important consideration when explosives are, near by. The tube 16. also protects the walls of. the casing from dirt and sootfandi from the fumes of mercury which result from the explosion of the primer charge and which would have a bad effect upon the brass of the. casing. The explosion furthermore makes considerably less noise within the tube than if it. occurred directly within thecasingand set the walls thereof in vibration. Still. another advantage. in the use of the tube is that it serves as av means to quickly test the casing to make sure that the propelling charge has been entirely removed therefrom and that it is safe toexp'lode the. primer charge. If the casing bottoms upon the upper end of the tube when it is placed thereover, it"

indicates thatv thecasing is empty.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the machine iswell adapted to perform its operation with quickness and safety and without injury to the material to be s-alvaged. It is possible by the use of the machineto operate upon large quantities of w-orksafely and profitably. and without the employment of skilled or specially trained labor.

What I' claim is: r

1. A. device of the class described com prising a punch, a cartridgecasing support adapted to be shifted to move the shell into and out of alinement with the punch, and

means to cause the automatic operation of the punch to detonate the.v primer charge and force. the primer. shell from the cartridge casing when the casing is moved into alinement with the punch,

:2. A device of the class described comprising a punch, a tubular'cartridge casing support adapted to extend within the cartridge casing and surround the primer, and'means to operate the punch to detonate the primer charge and force the primer shell from the cartridge casing.

3. A device of the class described comprising a punch, a cartridge casing. support adapted to be shiftedby the-.operator out of alinement with; the puncl1,;mea-ns;to automatically. return: the. support with a cartridge casing, thereon. into. alinement with the punch, andlme'ansoperated-by said support returning means to automatically cause the punch to operateitodetonatethe primer charge and drive. the. prime-r shell from the cartridge casing when said casing is moved into alinement withthepunehi 4:. A device of the class. describedv comprising a punch, a rockable cartridge cas ing support, adapted to-be. rocked tel-carry the cartridge-casing into. and outof'alinement with the. punch, and means to 'ca-us'e the punch to operate-when the; c'asing-isain alinement therewith to. detonate. the. primer chargeand drive the primer shellfromthe casing. I 7

5. YA device of the. class; described com,- prising a punch;;aa-shiftable cartridgecasing support in the form of a tube. adaptedi to extend within the cartridge: casing and enclose the primer, and means to operate the punch to detonate theprgimen charge w ithin said tube and drive theprimer shelljfrom the cartridge-casing and through-thetube 6. A device of the. class. described'eomprising a punch, a. rockshaft, a. cartridge casing support carriedzby. the rock. shaft and adapted to. support, the;casin'g in, alinement with the. punch, means. to rock said shaft to shift the: support. and easing out of alinement with. the punch, andimean-s connectedzwith the-shaft rocking means and operable by the movementthereof to cause the punch to operate to detonate. the primer charge and drive the primer shell from the cartridge casing.

7. A device of. theclass described. com: prising a punch, a rockably mounted. car: 'tridge casing support in the formkof a. tube open at both ends and adapted to. extend into the cartridge casing and. enclose the primer, means to rock. the support-and the cartridge. easing, into and ouh'of alinement with. the punch, and. means to cause; the punch to operate to detonate the; primer charge. within the supportingtube and drive the primer shell from. the cartridge-basing and through the-tube.

8. A device of the class described comprising a punch, a rockable cartridge casing support, a pedal adapted for rocking said support out of alinement with the punch to receive the cartridge casing means to automatically rock the support and casing into alinement with the punch when the pedal is released, and means connected with said automatic support rocking means to cause the punch to automatically operate when the cartridge casing is rocked into alinement therewith to detonate the primer charge and force the primer shell from the cartridge casing.

9. The method of removing the primer from an artillery cartridge casing consisting in placing the cartridge casing over an open ended tubular support with the tube enclosing the primer charge at the inner side of the closed end of the casing and extending out through the open end of the casing, placing said support and casing with the primer in alinement with a mechanically operated punch, and causing said punch to detonate the primer charge within the tube and force the primer shell from the cartridge casing and through the tube in one punching operation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my I signature.

AUGUSTINE WALTER WELGH. 

